You wake up to it each morning. It follows you as you go through your day. Itâs waiting for you in every room and conversation. Your battle cleverly disguises itself in many forms.
(Photo: Sinai mountains from Jebel Musa. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Your battle appears as a person, or as money, or as a tense situation at the office.
But the reality is that the battle you face each day has another source. The fight that Godâs people faced at Rephidim proved that point.
The battle is spiritualâand thereâs only one way to win.
Today’s Battle is Not New
Our struggles are not new, and neither is the secret to victory.
After God miraculously provided water for His people, Amalekite warriors confronted the Hebrews at a place called ârefreshments,â or Rephidim, traditionally thought to be present-day Wadi Refayld near Jebel Musa (traditional Mount Sinai).
On a hill above the battle, Moses held up his staff with both hands. As long as Moses lifted the staff of God, Israel prevailed against the Amalekites. But as soon as his weary arms dropped, the enemy began to win.
The action clearly revealed the means of victory in battleâa principle illustrated by the name of one we see in this passage for the first time in Scripture: Joshua, âThe Lord Saves.â
The Means of Victory
Only by absolute dependence on God can His people rise above their enemies. At Rephidim, through the means of water and war, God taught Israel a truth they would need in the Promised Land: He alone gives provision and protection.
This principle remains just as real in our spiritual life. Our enemy is not a nation, or a religion, nor disease. Our greatest enemy is a spiritual being, Satan, who has nothing less than our complete destruction as his patient pursuit. He prowls around like a lion, looking for those who fail to keep alert (1 Pet. 5:8).
The devil does not sleep . . . therefore, you must never cease your preparation for battle, because on the right and on the left are enemies who never rest. âThomas à Kempis
Our Weapons for the Battle
Because we face a spiritual enemy, the apostle Paul refreshes our minds with the lesson of Rephidim:
Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. âEphesians 6:10
Because we fight a spiritual battle, we brawl with the weapons of God, such as truth, faith, Scripture and prayer. Our spiritual provision and protection come from reliance on God. When we fail to pray, to stand on Scripture, or to believe the truth, we fail to prepare for a battle that we cannot win in our own strength.
Our Father has revealed that we must not live independent of Him, but rather in complete dependence on Him.
The invisible world looms just as real today as the world that dominates our sight.
Tell me what you think: What helps you keep your eyes on the true battle? To leave a comment, just click here.
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This post is adapted from Wayneâs book, Going Places with God: A Devotional Journey Through the Lands of the Bible.
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